Bengaluru molestation was planned by woman’s brother-in-law

The alleged molestation of a 23-year-old woman in Nagawara, north Bengaluru, on Friday took a curious turn with the arrest of her 34-year old brother-in-law.

Irshad Khan, a sales executive, said in his statement to police that he was in a relationship with his sister-in-law and wanted to marry her. However, realizing his wife and other family members would object to it, he hatched a plan to get his sister-in-law tainted as a victim of sexual assault.

This, he hoped, would ensure the woman’s prospective alliances would turn her down, and he could seek her hand in marriage, police quoted Khan as saying. The plan was finalized after Khan saw footage of the Kammanahalli molestation case. Police said they are yet to confirm if the woman too was actively involved in the plan. Sources privy to the probe, however, claimed she was part of the plan and investigation is under way to collect evidence against her.

Hemant Nimbalkar, additional commissioner of police, east, said: “A case of molestation, a serious allegation, has been filed by the woman. We will continue investigation and based on evidence, further steps will be taken.”

The woman, employed with a private company in Koramangala, had complained to KG Halli police that she was attacked by a man near the bus stop on Nagawara Main road around 6am Friday, when she was headed to work. She said the man grabbed her and bit her. She said she went to a hospital later and was treated for the bruises and bite mark on her lips.

However, on Saturday, the woman changed her version claiming she herself bit her lips, raising doubts about the incident. Soon, the survivor’s brother-in-law, who was raising a hue and cry about the safety of his relative, drew investigators’ attention. Khan had convinced some social outfits in the area to protest against alleged police apathy and visited senior police officers as well.

However, careful scanning of CCTV footage retrieved from a shop located near the crime scene threw up several leads, based on which investigators confronted Khan, who soon spilled the beans.